Don’t Leave Your Pets In a Car or Truck on Hot Days

We all consider our pets as part of the family. With the hot days of summer approaching, it's time to once again remind you, it is not a good idea to leave your pets in a car or truck during the summer months even for a little while.

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It's amazing how hot a car or truck can get during the summer months. Most pet owners love to take their pets on rides with them. Do you realize how hot a car can get, even on a cool day?

According to NBC News Pet Health, 5 minutes is too long to leave your pet in a car, even with the windows open or cracked. Think about this, if it's 72 degrees outside, a car in direct sunlight can reach up to 116, and even in the shade, the inside temperature can reach 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature and cracking the window has no effect.

I ran into this situation in Bismarck at a shopping center. To be clear, the owner was in the store for less than 5 minutes and this was a sunny and cool day about 12 p.m., but his dog was in his vehicle with the windows cracked. I'm sure the owner met no harm to his dog, but it serves as a reminder, dogs will suffer or even die in a hot car, even on a cool day.

The normal temperature for a dog is 101, once his temperature gets to 106, internal damage begins.

Remember, even on a cool day, your dog can still be killed when left in a car, even with the windows open.